Would Ali really do well in today’s era without going to the body?

Why would anyone ever expressly not hit the body, as a rule?

If it's open, hit it.

 

It can leave you open to getting knocked out.

 

Um, so can doing anything other than keeping up a high guard.

 

Well in his case, a lot of his matches (particularly against larger foes and/or big punchers) were fought with constant lateral movement and you do sort of need to set yourself to work the body. In general though, you shouldn't explicitly avoid body shots as part of your arsenal.

 

It leaves you more open than throwing headshots.

 

Not by that much, if you know what you're doing. The difference should be negligible, if your form is correct...and you should be retracting each fist immediately to base starting position after firing in any case.

 

Incorrect for the tall guys. Lewis, both K bros, Joshua, Wilder...they don’t or didn’t do it. Bowe did do it and he took beatings.

 

Andy Ruiz just knocked out the savior Joshua without any body shots even though he was giving up about alot of height and reach

 

Ruiz killed Joshua to the body. It’s the unspoken reason that Joshua checked out. Review the last minute of the round before the last.

 

I just watched it. Killed him to the body? Every meanful exchange was completely void of quality body work

 

Joshua didn’t throw a punch in the last minute because of that round bc Ruiz nailed him with a left hook to the body and a right hand to the solar plexus. He later follows up with another hard right and slips in a few jabs to the body. It might not have been a bunch of body shots in that round but the effect was there.

 

Ali would still jab to the body, it should be noted. He used that punch to great effect against Williams to set up the shots upstairs.

 

It depended on his opponents. Ali was actually a very well rounded fighter, but out of pride preferred to dance to a decision.

However, when his opponent pissed him off and he badly wanted to stop his opponent Ali would start attacking the body. Good examples of Ali’s body punching can be seen when he fought Bonavena, Wepner, and Alvin Lewis.